SINGAPORE - The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) will boost its efforts in the year ahead to support more students from low income families.

Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, announced plans on Saturday for the self-help group to reach out to more students, after an awards presentation ceremony for one of its programmes.

Known as Project Excellence, the programme helps better-performing students fulfil their potential. It helps Primary 3 to Secondary 2 students through a mix of after-school weekday classes, enrichment activities, workshops and outdoor learning trips during the year.

Project Excellence started with 54 students in 2009 and now has 371. This figure will grow to 450 next year, with the opening of one more centre in Jurong and existing centres taking in more students.

Ms Low, who is also the chairperson of the CDAC's student education and development committee, said that the Council's education schemes, including tuition and enrichment, will offer 52,000 places for students next year, up from 46,000 in 2013.

She added that CDAC saw a 40 per cent increase in the number of bursary recipients this year, compared to last year, because it eased the income criteria for its support schemes.